You lent me your life somehow

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

24/07/26 : Daughter From Hell - Gracie Abrams 

Our second visit with Gracie and last time I quite liked her, despite her being very similar to one Ms Swift, who's never quite managed to cut through with me.

And we're very much in the same place here - it's very Taylor-ish (she's obviously been having relationship issues) but, somehow, for me, just a bit better. I'm not sure I needed 56 minutes of it, but she's got a nice voice and there are decent tracks on here, most of which are written by her and Aaron Dessner (does that man have any time to spend on The National these days?) and they hang together reasonably well as an album. It's not going to be one I revisit, but I can imagine plenty of younger, femaler people will.

We're at #1 with a new entry in the chart this week - her second #1 and her third top three album, which is a decent effort from the lass. The rest of the top five are Michael Jackson (the film's on streaming now), the Olivias Rodrigo & Dean and The Rolling Stones - I'm also going to mention Sienna Spiro at #6 because she's climbed from #8 last week, which is nice to see. So what new entries have we got this week?

Yard Act (#15)
It's nearly there for me, but just a bit too "post punk". OK, OK - it's quite a lot post punk. Not for me, I'm afraid, but I can understand why younger people like it.

Nia Archives (#30)
I always get confused by who I like more out of Nia Archives and Sudan Archives - I think it's Nia, but I wouldn't bet on it. However, without checking in on Sudan, I really liked this - it's a fine album and really well produced. It reminded me of MIA or, more specifically, Santigold - all of which took me down a scary Wikipedia rabbit hole learning that MIA is 51 and Santigold is 49! The angry young women aren't so young any more.

Motionless In White (#31)
From their name, I thought this would be cool indie and I'd like it. However, I was very wrong - it's very shouty metal nonsense. Not for me.

Bella Kay (#50)
I've never heard of Bella - but I obviously guessed she was a singer-songwriter. And she is, but it's a bit more indie than most of them types and I like her for it. It's fair to say she has a bit of trauma in her life, but she has a very honest way of talking about it. I can't claim to be an expert in eating disorders (because I'm not) but "Sleep For Dinner" actually gave an interesting insight into the mental state involved - I was really quite impressed. And she's only 20.

New Order (#54)
Their fourth-ish best-of - you know what you're getting here. Nothing more to say really!

Loathe (#68)
They've got to be a metal band, surely? Oh - listening to the first track, they're some kind of indie rock thang. Ah no, it turns out they've totally lied to me because they, are heart, a metal band and very shouty in the chorus - but it's actually quite a varied mix, so I admire their ambtition. 

As It Is (#76)
An interesting name because I've no idea what genre it might be. And they're a indie-pop outfit - it's not something I'd search out, but I actually quite liked it. It feels like it would be particularly enjoyable on a sunny festival afternoon - Wikipedia tells me they're been around since '12 and this is their sixth album.

Steve Lacy (#81)
He was all the rage a few years ago, but look at him now! I didn't understand the fuss back then, and I don't understand it now - it's all perfectly fine but nothing groundbreaking.

The highest re-entry this week is Bruno Mars (#25) which I suspect might be to do with him playing Wembley tonight - and I know this because the female Reeds decided they'd go to Wembley Ikea on Friday night and apparently getting there wasn't the most fun ever. Luke Combs (#86) is the next highest - the others have all come from the low 100s into the 90s, so can be safely ignore as of no interest. Last week I said that The Rolling Stones would be at #8 so I'm going to take #5 as a partial win - I reckon Gracie is going to hang about so let's guess #5 for her. And this week's Taylor stats are one album at #74 - and I much preferred Gracie's offering to her album.

Wikipedia tells us this is her third album - and that's pretty much your lot. I even checked her entry out and there's not an awful lot there either - the best I've got for you is that she's in a relationship with Paul Mescal, who seems like a decent chap who wouldn't put up with any nonsense, so that counts in her favour. Critically, the reviews are pretty middling (The Financial Times wasn't a fan) but commercially, it's done OK for itself I guess getting to #1 in a bajillion places, including the US. 

discogs.com tells us you can pick up a CD version for £15 or a vinyl copy for £35, but if you want a red or lavender vinyl edition then it's going to set you back up to £90. I think I'm probably fine without owning it but I didn't mind this at all and think it's done enough to take the album of the week award, with Nia Archives and Bella Kay also having done enough to get a shout out, so it's been a good week for the ladies.

17/07/26 - A decent effort from the pensioners